One Last Dance
by I.Dream.Of.Hardyz
Summary: Remy has never met anyone quite like Riker. He's different from the others guys she's met before, in so many more ways than one. He moves in next door, and after a few days of being slightly weird, he starts to be more friendly. But he's harboring a secret. He doesn't think she'd still like him, but she knows nothing could stop her from falling. Riker/OC. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**I know I've got two other stories on here already. But Riker Lynch just won't leave me alone, and it's his fault this has been written. So send all your comments to him! No, not really. But hi! This is my third story on here that I think is going to be another favorite of mine. It's dark... does that surprise you? But it's definitely got the most romance in it of all of them, and I'm quite proud of it. I know it's not an Austin and Ally story, but R5 is also always written in this section, and I hope you'll give it a chance.**

**With this story, without giving away the plot... this is going to deal with a very serious topic. I don't want to say much, but please know that it's very AU and that Riker goes through some very sad things in this story, but don't worry... there is very much some fun things in store as well. As for the story title, don't take it as literal as the song from R5's album. It's got a slightly different meaning and you'll see in time. Anyway, I hope my readers will enjoy this just as much as my others, and if you know me... you know I like to make my stories different. Maybe you like that too. ;D I hope you do.**

**Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

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"You need to come to this party," my best friend pleaded with me, swinging her school bags around so she could grab my shoulders and give me those stupid puppy dog eyes. I rolled my own set and shook my head, not giving her the time of day. Not one to easily settle, she continued, "Please? Wes is going to be there." She paused and flailed her arms. "It's my only hope to ever get his attention and make him fall in love with me!"

I stopped full on in the middle of the hallway, her dramatics literally causing me to still. Her eyes filled with hope at the look on my face, but fell the moment I shook my head. "Wes is just another teenager heartthrob who wants you to fall in love with him!"

"Please," she begged. "Do something like a normal teenager for once! I need you for moral support. I'm hopeless without you."

I continued to walk toward my locker, prepared to leave the hell hole that was Westmouth High for the weekend, and shaking my head at her. "Teenage parties are highly overrated. But you're correct… you are hopeless."

"REMY," she shrieked, causing everyone to stare at her. "What is this crap?"

We made it to my locker, where I shoved half of the things into, piling some into my bag before turning to her again. Her eyes were wide and clear. For such a small girl, she had a way of being the loudest person in the room. "Laura," I moaned. "Come on. Ask someone else."

"I don't want to ask someone else," she whispered. "You're my best friend."

"Don't pull that card on me!"

"But you are!"

I slammed my locker shut and looked at my phone. I had an hour to make it to my job and with her on my tails, a half hour of it would have to be filled with her voice. Besides that, I didn't really want to work tonight. "On one condition," I started, as she jumped for joy and started dancing. I waited until she was done, and added, "You're working for me tonight."

"DEAL!" she yelled, grabbing my hand and nearly dragging me to my car. She flopped into the passenger seat, her mouth moving faster than any words could actually be said, and I settled into the other side, shaking my head. This party was going to be absolutely horrible. Luckily, it was tomorrow night, and I had a day to dread it even more. I quickly put on the radio to drown her out and drove toward where we both worked, a small clothing store near the city of Los Angeles, and nearly threw her into the building, driving away before she could say another word.

Arriving home meant I could sit out back and enjoy the afternoon, with no distractions. My parents worked late on Fridays, leaving me with our house to myself. At least, that was my plan. It seemed to work well for me at first, as I made some tea, grabbed a book, and headed out to sit on the porch and begin a romance novel. I was about five chapters in, or just when the lead character does something embarrassing to make the other lead character fall for them, when a loud car door slammed. The momentary interruption didn't faze me at first, but it didn't end there. It was followed by other loud noises, and men talking in voices and in words that were only meant for places like a bar.

"What the fuck?" I growled. Was someone breaking in next door? In broad daylight? Our neighbors had moved across the country almost two months ago, and no one lived in the house to my left since then. It had been for sale, but no one had bought the comfy, but small place that had been quite nice all of this time. I didn't want to get involved, especially if they were breaking and entering… but they were ruining my afternoon that I had so happily acquired.

I set my book down on the table and walked through the house, opening the front door. The sun flooded in, and I peered out to my right to see… much to my surprise, a moving truck in the next driveway, with several men unloading things from inside. A small, heavier woman with a pretty face was talking to one of them with a smile, her hands waving excitedly as they laughed together.

Next to her, had to be her husband, though he was quite different in appearance. Tall, thin, and business type like, he stood with a more reserved smile, as he listened to his wife and the moving man make conversation. He seemed to notice me for a second, but pretended I wasn't there, and that made me smile.

That was when I saw them. Two kids, about my age, standing by the car, looking both unhappy and bored. Their parents didn't seem to care too much about this, but this made me thrilled. Not too many kids lived around here. Most of them lived in the more expensive neighborhoods, and didn't bother with coming this way. The girl caught my eye and a delicate smile graced her blonde face, and she looked much like her mother. She waved, and I waved back, not too sure what this all meant. Did this mean we were friends?

I took a timid step off the porch and crossed over the grass to their property, figuring they already saw me, might as well introduce myself. "Hi," I said with a smile as I neared the two. "I'm Remy. I guess you're moving in next door?"

"Looks that way," she replied with a cheery grin. "I'm Rydel. Riker is my brother."

He nodded at her with a smile, but didn't say a word.

"He's grumpy because he didn't get to sleep on the way here," she said with a laugh. "Don't mind him. He's usually much friendlier."

He shot her a glare at this and took off toward the house, leaving me with the bubbly girl. "So, is this a nice neighborhood?"

I shrugged. "Most people who live her come to stay for retirement and things like that. Honestly, you're the only other person around here other than me and Laura."

"Who's Laura?"

"My best friend," I explained. Laura and I had gotten close because we had lived so close growing up. Most of the kids didn't want anything to do with us because our parents weren't rich like the other kids, and spent most of their money actually on bills, instead of fancy cars and things like that. "She lives down the block. She's working right now."

"Oh! Awesome."

"Yeah," I said awkwardly.

She nodded as well, swinging her hips as she watched them unload her things. Her face lit up again seeing something come off the truck and she ran toward it. It was a keyboard. "Come here, Remy!" She didn't seem all that awkward like me, which was great. A natural conversationalist, hopefully who would make it a lot easier to get to know. "This is my keyboard," she gushed. "I named him after Harry Styles from One Direction." At the look on my face, she blushed. "Sorry, I think he's adorable."

"I'm more of a Louis girl myself," I laughed. "But not really. Laura's into them. You'll enjoy that."

"Oh! Okay, well," she said, turning toward her parents who were looking her way. "Guess I'd better unload and stuff. Maybe I'll see you later. It was nice to meet you!"

I didn't even get to answer before she darted into the house, leaving me to smile awkwardly at the base of my own.

The night was quite boring after that, and I found myself watching their house from my bedroom window. It was quite lucky that my room faced theirs, and every once in a while, I see one of them leave, grab some things, and run back inside. Everyone but Riker, that was. He hadn't made an appearance since he ran inside earlier that day.

The light suddenly came on in the room across from mine. I gasped, trying to dodge being seen, but it was too late. Riker stood across from my view, and his face was one that said he was either amused, or surprised. Perhaps both. He paused as I pretended to be doing something, only to chuckle when I stopped to take a peek. He waved once and then went to sit down on his bed, which I could see clearly from where I stood as well. "Hmm," I said.

He got up a few minutes later when his mother brought in a box that was labeled, "CF" and set it down on a dresser near his bed. She patted his arm and walked back out, and he scowled at the box like it held something terrible. Maybe it did… but honestly, I didn't know. I was intrigued, I must say. He didn't seem to care that I was watching anymore, either. He was now unpacking other boxes, setting out guitars (interesting) and some posters of bands like Fall Out Boy and some others I didn't recognize. At least he had good taste in music.

I finally settled down near my own window, back with my book, but continued to peek on him throughout the night. Being creepy wasn't something I usually did, that was more so reserved for Laura, but I couldn't help it.

At about eight, after an hour of my parents being home and dinner being served, I noticed the light in his room go back on. He walked in, his father behind him, and they closed the door. They pulled some sort of machine out of the box, big and bulky, and set it down near his bed. His father motioned to something, and Riker flopped down on the bed, face first. He sat like that for a few minutes, and I couldn't look away. What were they doing? Suddenly, his father was kneeling over him, pounding him on the back, or hitting him. I wasn't quite sure. I jumped back in alarm, tripping over my shoes, and causing quite a bit of noise. When I looked back up, his father was scowling at me through the window, and with that, the blinds went down.

The next morning, I would have thought I could sleep in. Not only did I have off from work, but it was the weekend. No, that can't happen though. Laura was up in my room only an hour after nine, bouncing on my bed, cheering about the party, clothes, and Wes. I groaned as she pulled me out of the bed, and began pulling clothes out of my drawers. Shirt after shirt, dress, and pants, she growled. "There is nothing in here you can wear!"

"I'm glad you think so," I mumbled through my sleep filled eyes.

"No, we need to go shopping," she whined.

"I don't have any money to go shopping," I argued back. "Forget it. I'll find something."

Much to my surprise, she let it go. "Fine."

"Why are you here so early anyway? I figured you wouldn't be by until at least five."

"I saw the moving truck," she grinned. "Who moved in? Please, please let there be some hot guy."

"Uh, what happened to Wes?" I laughed. "But yes, there were two kids our age. A boy and girl, and no, I don't think he's particularly your type. Much too skinny, and definitely way too quiet."

"Damn." She peeked around me. "Well, he looks perfect for you!"

"How can you say that?" I went to ask, when I noticed she was staring beyond me. I turned around to see him in the window, getting dressed. Of course, he had boxers on, but everything else was exposed. I felt myself staring again, and sort of laughed. Definitely my type, she was right, but he was also really weird. And I could count every rib on the boy's body. "Oh. That's him. His name is Riker."

"That's unique," she gushed. "Maybe we should say hi! Bring him cupcakes or something! We've got all day!"

"What?" I muttered. "No!"

"Oh, why not? You're not doing anything today."

"I'm already giving you my entire night. Why should I give you my day, too?"

She laughed. "And what do you plan on doing all day that is more important? Other than sitting around and watching TV shows." She raised an eyebrow and I gave up. "Fine. But we're making chocolate!"

It was nearly two when we finished them and were bringing them next door. I had begged the girl twice already since leaving the house to keep her mouth shut and not make any comments if we were to run into Riker. I didn't want him to think I was weirder than he already seemed to, and honestly, I still wasn't sure what I had seen last night in his room. But much to my relief, Rydel answered the door. "Oh, Remy! Hi! Oh, you must be Laura!"

She nearly tackled her. "You told her about me? Aw!"

"Sorry," I laughed at my friend's words. "But don't worry, she doesn't bite."

Rydel laughed and seemed to notice the cupcakes in our hands. "What are these?"

"For you, welcome to the neighborhood. I'm Laura, like she said."

"Aw!" She gushed. "Come in! We just finished up lunch and I'm sure Riker and my mom would love one." We followed her into the house I'd been into once or twice over the years, and much to my surprise, it already seemed home like. There were pictures on the walls of each child, and a lovely smell was coming from the kitchen. There I could see her mother already working on dinner, and Riker sitting at the table with a laptop on. She cleared her throat and both looked up.

"Company?" her mother asked. "How lovely."

"These are our neighbors," Rydel explained. "Remy and Laura. They made us cupcakes. Aren't they sweet?"

"Yes," her mother agreed. "I'm Stormie and this is Riker. I think I saw you yesterday, am I right?" She pointed at me with a warm smile. "Nice to meet you again, and it's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"Riker, be nice and say hi," Rydel said.

He looked up. "Sorry. Nice to meet you both," he said quietly.

I waved once and set the cupcakes down on the table. "It's really nice to see people our age here," I explained. "We're the only ones in the area, so we're pretty excited."

"Hey, I have an idea," Laura said, after a moment. "There is a party tonight at one of our friend's house. It's about five minutes from here, and it's going to be awesome. Maybe you and Riker should come," she said to Rydel. Stormie immediately went on guard, I noticed but Rydel seemed thrilled.

"Oh my God, yes!"

"Rydel," Stormie warned, glancing at Riker. What was his problem? He didn't seem necessarily rude, but he definitely didn't seem all that friendly either. "Maybe another time."

"What?" she whined. "Why?"

"Rydel," her mother tried again.

Riker was next to speak up, much to my surprise. "Let her go," he said carefully. "It's okay."

"You can go too," she said quickly. "We won't stay long, just long enough to meet some new people."

Her mother gave her another look and it was obvious there was something neither of them were going to say in front of us. Riker looked uncomfortable, like he wanted to go but knew he probably shouldn't. I looked at him for the first time up close. He honestly was so thin and even more so tall. Like his father. But what really caught me was his warm eyes, which I had missed the first few times but now were staring back at my own.

"Maybe just an hour," he said, reasoning with his mother. "It won't hurt."

"You'll have to make your father agree to that," she warned him. He shrugged it off. "Okay, as long as you agree not to stay too long."

Rydel squealed. "Yes!" She turned to us. "Can we go pick out outfits? I can't wait!"

She pulled us by the arm, and Laura laughed, "I like you. Maybe you've got something that Remy can wear too because her stuff looked horrible today!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to the two of you that reviewed. I expected a much smaller review base with this, as it's not actually about the section it's in, but I was so glad to see two familiar and awesome faces in my inbox. Shout out to you both. You're awesome and make me smile. Elizabeth, I know I still owe you that one shot, and I didn't forget. :)**

**Anyway, this chapter shows more into what Riker's going through, but the big reveal won't be until the next chapter.**

**Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

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"

At almost eight that night, we were all prepared to go. Riker had convinced his father, and he was going with us. I had everyone pile into my car and we were off in what may have been the most awkward five minute drive in my life. While Laura and Rydel chatted the entire way in the backseat, Riker sat stoically in the front the entire time, never once meeting my gaze. I sighed as we parked, wondering if this was how the entire night was to go.

I watched as my best friend and Rydel ran toward the house, huge and obviously owned by someone who made more in a month than my parents did in a year, leaving me alone with Riker, who still looked like I might have poison ivy, or something else contagious by the way he wouldn't even look at me. Screw this, I thought and turned to him. "So, we're the only two here now without a friend."

"Yeah," he said quietly. "I guess so."

I growled to myself and shrugged. What was with this boy? He glanced at me for a moment, offering the most pathetic smile I've ever seen, and then began to walk toward the house as well. I stood there for a moment and then decided to follow after.

It wasn't like I needed my best friend to survive at a party, because I didn't. But the girl had begged me to come and now had ditched me for some girl she'd just met with obviously a better taste in clothes than I did. And if I was honest, as I stared down at the dress I currently wore and had borrowed, was a lot richer than she came off as. Don't get me wrong… they weren't rich like the owners of the house, but the girl had to come from money.

The music pumped around me while others got drunk and danced on each other. Everyone I had come with had disappeared at this point so I continued to walk until I reached the kitchen, grabbing a can of soda and sipping it. A guy who I recognized from one of my classes came up to me, obviously drunk with bad intentions on his mind. "Hey, Rainy, right?" I scowled, as he tried to near my neck. "You know me. Brad. I sit behind you in Math."

"It's Remy," I said flatly. "And no, I don't know you."

"You look great tonight," he continued, ignoring the comments I had just made. "Looking hot in that dress. Why don't you dress like that at school?"

"Fuck off," I scowled again, pushing him. "I'm not easy and you're wasted. Nice try though."

He rolled his eyes and finally got the hint, leaving me alone to survey the place. Everyone was having a good time, and somewhere to my left there was game of shots going on. I could hear high pitched giggles and howls of laughter. Someone came up to my right. "This is honestly stupid," the familiar voice said. Riker. I had to say, I was glad to see him.

I nodded. "You're telling me. I only agreed because Laura has this thing for some guy."

"And where is she?"

"Good question," I laughed. He was also sipping a soda from a glass. "Don't drink?"

"Nah," he muttered. "No need."

We stood in silence for a moment before I was shocked by a horrid sound that came from Riker's mouth. It was between a cough and a gag, and before I could ask if he was okay, he darted off in a different direction. Alarm pulsed through me. What was wrong with him? Did someone lace his drink with something? I pushed through the crowds of people to the direction he had gone, looking for the blond hair in a sea of sloshed bodies. I saw him go down a hallway a few feet ahead, and ran that way, making it there in time for the bathroom door to slam in my face. But despite this, the painful hacks on the other side could be heard over the loud music. Something was wrong. I banged on the door, afraid to actually say anything. The hacking continued.

"One second," he spat through coughs.

I was shaking as it continued, sounding like he was choking or something possibly worse. Finally, the door opened, and I watched as Riker downed an inhaler, his entire face pale and his body shaking. I blinked in shock and he looked equally surprised to see me.

"Uh… are you okay?" I finally managed to ask.

He seemed to brush it off as it was nothing. "I've had a really bad cold," he laughed awkwardly. "It hasn't gone away and my mom was worried about me coming tonight, and I guess it bit me in the ass. Sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out."

"You look like crap. Do you want me to take you home? I'm sure Laura and Rydel wouldn't mind."

He shrugged. "No, no. It's okay." He wheezed despite what he said, and I raised my eyebrows. "Honestly, I'm fine."

I noticed his soda was long gone. He stood on shaky feet as we made it back through the crowd. "At least let me get you some water, or something."

He nodded. "That would be nice."

We found a more quiet part of the house and Riker sat down, sipping the water every few minutes. He looked wiped and I knew he had to be sicker than he led on, and was only staying because he wanted to watch out for Rydel. "So, how old are you anyway?"

He glanced up. "I just turned seventeen, what about you?"

"Same," I laughed. "Laura is a year younger than me."

"Rydel's sixteen too." He paused, taking another sip. "I guess they're enjoying themselves."

"Probably. I'm sure we'll hear about it soon. If something good doesn't happen tonight with Wes, I honestly think the girl might lose it."

"Who is this Wes guy anyway?"

"Some rich boy who looks like he belongs in a magazine that has absolutely no personality," I muttered. He laughed hard at what I said and I shrugged with a smile. "Laura's in love, according to her."

He smirked as the party continued on. An hour melted into two, and I noticed while Riker stopped shaking, the color never returned to his face, and every once in a while, the coughs would return, just not as bad. "I hope you're not contagious," I teased.

He shook his head. "I've been on medication," he said quietly.

A few minutes later and the girls reappeared both of them smiling widely at each of us, until Rydel saw her brother. Her face immediately fell and she gave him a look. They shared an odd moment that I couldn't understand until Laura shrieked happily, throwing me her phone which was open to a number and a name that said Wes.

"We've got a date for Friday night," she gushed. "Can you work my night next week since I worked yours yesterday?"

I nodded, honestly happy that it had worked out for her after all. Rydel was quietly talking to her brother at this point, so I pretended to listen to my best friend chat while I also tried to hear what the other two were saying. With no luck, I decided it was time for all of us to leave. "Okay, it's getting late," I announced. "I've got work tomorrow, and I'm tired. Are you all ready?"

"Yep," Rydel said suddenly, helping Riker stand.

"Well, then it's time to go," I agreed.

The next day, I woke with a headache like I had drank the night before. Considering I hadn't, I was even more annoyed as I showered and got dressed for work, hating that I lived on the outskirts of a town where so many people were rich and famous and didn't have to work at a store where one shirt cost more than my weekly paycheck. But hating my life wasn't going to get me anywhere, so I got dressed and headed out to the kitchen, where my parents had left me breakfast before heading out for their weekly morning run.

I grabbed a bagel and headed out the door, seeing Stormie outside attempting to plant some flowers. She waved from where she stood, her hands covered in dirt. I waved back and got into my car, driving to work.

You would think rich people wouldn't be at a clothing store at nine in the morning, but apparently there didn't have anything better to do, because the moment I walked in, I was demanded by my boss to help a woman find a suitable outfit for a birthday party that night. I sighed as the woman fawned over more outfits then I probably owned, unsure what color looked best on her, after I told her many times what I thought. Honestly, I think I was just there to pretend I cared, and hold the outfits she wanted.

My mind was on Riker and how odd he was. I thought back to each moment the boy had been around me over the last two days, and all the weird things that had happened. When he wasn't acting strange, he was actually pretty nice. And he had such warm eyes and I loved that. I always thought that eyes could tell you a lot about a person. Maybe he was just nervous. He did just move here.

"What about this one?" the woman asked.

"No," I said flatly. "It looks like you're wearing a balloon."

Apparently, I personally offended her.

An hour later, and my boss apologizing for my words (of truth), I was told to pack out things from the back, and stay away from customers. The day dragged on. I was happy to hear my boss tell me to clock out, and I nearly ran from the place and into my car, eager to get home to finish my book, and maybe even start another.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter. You're awesome. This story is going to be an interesting one for me to write, because not only does it involve me having to do a lot of research, but it also involves me writing about something I don't know much about. Anyway, you'll see why he's acting the way he does in this chapter.**

**Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

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I arrived home and got out of the car, glancing over at their house. It seemed quiet over there, no cars were in the driveway, and no lights were on. I sighed, going up to my own room and sitting on the bed. Was it bad I couldn't get the boy I'd only met a day ago out of my head? He was just hanging out in there, making himself at home.

After finding myself home alone again, I decided that I would order myself a pizza, grab that book I was reading, and watch his window. It was creepy, I was well aware. But I needed to know more about the boy, his odd behavior, and his family. And since I didn't know him well enough to just go knocking on his door and demanding he hang out with me, I was forced to stare through the window and hope somehow he'd see me.

This went on for hours. By three in the afternoon, I was growing frustrated. It had been almost two hours and not a single thing had changed over there. I had finished my first book and was well into the second, but was growing bored. I needed someone's attention, or someone to talk to.

Laura.

After all, what were best friends for?

I rang her phone, waiting for her to answer. Much like I expected, she answered on the second ring. "HELLO!"

"Hi," I laughed. "Entertain me."

"Excuse you?"

"You heard me," I said, flopping onto my bed, smirking at the phone. "That's what you're good for."

"Excuse you," she said again, though she laughed. "I'm pretty bored myself. But I'm supposed to be doing chores. Thanks for the distraction."

"Just don't blame me."

"Oh, I plan to," she laughed. "What's up?"

"I'm thinking about Riker," I admitted. "And his family. And how weird he is."

"He's weird?"

"You didn't really see him last night," I explained. "You were a bit busy trying to win over Wes."

"Which worked out so perfectly," she sighed happily. "I'm thinking about wearing that blue dress I bought last week, what do you think? Or will it make me look washed out?"

"No, wear it. It makes you look curvy as hell, too," I explained. "He'll love it."

"Good. Thanks. So what now? He's weird. What makes you say that?"

"He like broke out in a coughing fit in front of me, darted off, and when he came back, he said he had a cold. I've never coughed like that when I was sick. And then he and Rydel were giving each other looks. And then there is the whole thing from yesterday at their house when Stormie was all over both of them for wanting to go to the party." I took a breath, shaking my head. "Maybe I'm crazy."

"No, you're right, that's definitely weird. But hey, who knows. Are you sure someone didn't lace his drink?"

"No," I admitted. "But it would have had lasting affects, or done something other than make him cough, wouldn't you say? I mean, he seemed fine otherwise. A little dizzy, but I credited that to him nearly coughing up a lung."

She sort of laughed. "You're terrible when it comes to comparisons, Rem. Well, why don't you just ask Rydel? She seems more willing to talk than he does. Maybe he's just shy, or maybe he likes you, ever think of that?"

"Oh, shut up. We've just met. Why would he like me?"

"It's obvious you've got a thing for him," she giggled.

"I do not."

"You do so," she argued. "You've been talking about him since we got on the phone."

"So, I'm curious!"

"No, no. It's different. I can tell."

"I know nothing about him," I defended. "It's not possible."

"Oh, come on. Give it in. You think he's hot. That's all you need. And he's got that mysterious thing going for him, which totally makes it even sexier. Just give him time. Maybe he's shy, and doesn't want you to think he's weird for being shy."

"I already think he's weird," I whined. "But I still want to know him."

"Go hang out with Rydel," she edged, and oddly enough, the girl and her family entered their house. "She'll be the easiest way to get to him, and besides that, she's awesome."

"Alright, well they just got home, so maybe I will. Wish me luck."

"You don't need it," she muttered.

She hung up before I could say another word, and I stared at the phone, wondering why the girl never said goodbye. Heading out of the house a few minutes later, I was nearly tackled by Rydel who happened to be on her way over to mine.

"You're home!" she cheered. "I was hoping you would want to hang out today. I know It seems needy, but I don't know anyone else and it's so nice to have someone so close!"

I really couldn't say no. I forced a smile and then noticed how infectious hers was. She guided me into her house and up the stairs to her room, where she sat on her bed, motioning for me to follow.

The room fit the girl, despite her arrival only being a few days prior. It was decked out in glitter and shiny, sparkly things, with almost everything being in a shade of pink.

"I washed your dress," I told her. "It'll be dry later."

"Not a problem, don't worry about it. Keep it if you liked it."

"I couldn't do that," I mumbled. "It looked expensive."

"So?" She grinned and I knew there was something else.

"What?"

"Riker thinks it's your color," she laughed. "He says you looked great in it last night."

I blushed. "He did?"

"Yeah," she said again. "OH MY GOD. You're blushing!"

"I'm not!" I laughed, but I knew was. "Besides, why are you telling me this?"

"I think he likes you," she giggled. "He's always had a thing for redheads."

"Oh, stop. Besides, I don't think he does. He's been kind of awkward around me."

"Don't let that bother you," she said, her expression changing. "He's just… Riker. He'll grow out of it as he gets to know you. I promise. Besides, he's my brother. And I know him and he likes you." I forced myself to look away from her because for some reason, the thought that he liked me made me sort of happy. He was a good looking guy and he seemed normal enough, despite all the weird things that had happened. But still. It was all so new and I wasn't going to make something out of nothing.

"But anyway, I can't take the dress. It's yours, and it's expensive."

"I have lots of dresses," she shrugged. "I don't care." She didn't give up and I decided I would just drop it off one day when she wasn't there. She grinned when all the sudden, the same sounds from last night filled the hallway and Rydel's smile faded. I felt my own smirk fall and her eyes glanced into the hallway. "Um… one second."

"Okay," I said with a bit of worry in my voice, as she ran toward his room.

It continued for nearly a minute, and it seemed to get worse. I could hear Rydel whispering despite this and there was fear in her voice. I left the room and neared his, trying to remain quiet but hear what was going on. "Riker, that doesn't sound good. Maybe we should call mom. Have you been taking your medication? Look, if you want, I'll tell Remy to go home and I'll give you an extra session. It sounds like you need it…"

"No," he said through gasps. "I'm… fine."

"Riker," she scolded.

"I'm fine," he snapped. He continued to hack and then wheeze. "Just go hang out with her." She didn't leave the room. It sounded like whatever he had was much worse than a cold, and what did she mean by session? Something was definitely not right and she didn't seem to want to take no for an answer.

"Riker," she argued once more. "If you don't break it up, you'll end up back in the hospital."

"Rydel," he growled. "Go."

I gave in and walked into his room, annoyed with all the whispers. I'm not sure who was more alarmed to see me, Riker or Rydel. "Shit," he swore, still trying to contain the coughing. "Look what you did!"

"Don't blame this on me," she mumbled. "You're the one hacking in here."

"Rydel."

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" Riker finally stopped coughing and looked at me, his entire face sweating. I bit back a surprised gasp at how terrible he looked. His body was again shaking and I knew something more serious was wrong with him. "You don't have a cold, do you?"

He shook his head. "I really don't like to talk about it."

"Well, too late," Rydel said quietly. "She's here."

Rydel got up and went over to the box from the other night labeled "CF" and took an inhaler out of it. She helped him sit up and he took several puffs, which seemed to help him somewhat. He glanced at her, still annoyed with whatever was going on and then looked at me. "Look, this isn't something I really like to announce, and I don't want you to think I'm a freak."

"She won't think you're a freak," Rydel whispered. "I don't know why you think that to begin with but…"

"Rydel, can you go downstairs for a minute, maybe get me a drink of water?" he asked.

She got the hint and left the room, and we were alone. "Like I told you last night, what I have isn't contagious, so you don't have to worry, but I don't have a cold." He paused. "Have you ever heard of cystic fibrosis?"

I shook my head. "No, not really."

"It's a disease that makes it hard for me to breath," he said simply. "In more complicated terms, my body can't break up mucus on its own which it produces, so it builds up in my lungs. If I don't use medicines and physical respiratory therapy daily do so manually, it gets worse and to the point where I can't breathe at all, and then I end up in the hospital with an infection. It also affects my pancreas and it makes it really hard for me to gain any weight. There is a lot more to it and more than what it seems."

"Is that what your father was doing the other night?" I asked quietly.

"Oh? You saw that, didn't you? Sorry. Yeah, it's part of my therapy. My father refuses to let me use any of the new technology they have for people to breathe better for therapy because he thinks the way it was done when I was little is more effective. So, every night and morning, either he, my mom, or Rydel has me lie on my stomach and breathe through a machine for a while. After that, they pound on my mid back and it breaks up the mucus so I can breathe better for the day. Of course, there are medicines and machines that do that now… but you know…"

I just stared at him, unable to believe the boy went through that every day to just have some normalcy. "You think I'm a freak," he whispered.

"No," I swore, shaking my head, and tears filled my eyes. "Not at all. I think you're incredibly strong to go through that every day."

He shrugged. "It's whatever."

Rydel walked back in, as if she had been listening the entire time. Her face had softened, but she clearly meant business. "Now that she's not running and you know she doesn't care, can you please let me help you? You're still wheezing and you're in pain, I know you." He looked annoyed that she knew him so well, but nodded.

"I'll go," I offered.

"You might as well watch. It doesn't matter at this point." Rydel offered a slight smile, but Riker was shaking his head.

"No," he said, finally after considering this a moment. "Look, there is just some things I'd rather you not see. Please don't be offended."

"I'm not," I assured him. "Would you rather me wait in another room, or should I just come back later?"

Rydel nodded her head, and this seemed to satisfy her brother too. "Why don't you head downstairs and pick out a movie? There is a bunch we just bought and they're all new."

I nodded, leaving the room to let them do whatever was needed.

Rydel came down a few minutes later, after what seemed like forever to me. I had heard her brother coughing badly upstairs, but I assumed it was a good thing if it meant it was helping him. She eyed me with a smile, as I showed her the movie I had picked out.

"I'm going to wash my hands, can you just make sure he's okay?"

I nodded as she went down the hallway and I made my way toward his bathroom. I knocked once to find him leaning over the toilet, spilling the contents of his stomach. Alarmed, my eyes widened. "Are you okay?"

He jumped at my voice. "Shit."

"Sorry," I said. "Rydel wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Yeah," he said softly, flushing the toilet. "I'm okay." He grabbed a toothbrush and smirked at me. "Scared yet?"

I shook my head. "No."

He stared at me for a long time. "Thanks."

The rest of the day was spent hanging out with both Rydel and Riker. It was clear that part of the reason he'd been so weird around me was because of his condition and now that it was no longer an issue, I saw a side of him that not too many people got to see. Rydel had set up her keyboard in the living room and he'd grabbed his bass, and they were jamming together while she sang and he danced. It was quite comical to me and I had to say, I really enjoyed their company.

"You guys are nuts," I said with a laugh, taking a sip of the soda they had supplied. Riker grinned as the song ended and he plopped down next to me.

"We're the most fun you've had in weeks, admit it."

His expression sent me giggling, and I rolled my eyes. "I don't know about that."

He leaned closer, as if he was going to whisper something into my ear.

Just then the door opened and both of their parents walked through, all eyes on us. He backed off me immediately and darted toward his bass. The moment Mark saw his bass, his eyes seemed to darken. Stormie immediately sensed this and tried to drag her husband away, but the man was staring and it made me uncomfortable.

"Riker, Rydel," he started. "What are you doing?"

"Just jamming," Rydel said easily, like she was used to this. "This is Remy. She's our neighbor and my new best friend."

He sort of smiled at me and then turned his attention to Riker. "Riker, I believe we've had a talk about this. I don't want you playing that thing when you were just released from the hospital last week."

He stood, his entire face turning red. "Dad…"

"No," he said firmly. "There isn't an argument. You're endangering your health."

"Dad," he tried again. "It's just a bass. Rydel was the one singing and I wasn't overdoing it."

His father had none of it and he literally pulled the plug from the base. "Sorry, son. I'm only trying to protect you." He left the room with the object and Riker seemed to grow angry, but instead only fell back down onto the couch while Stormie rushed after her husband, her worry obviously trying to make the situation better.

"Protect me, yeah. More like mortally embarrass me," he mumbled. He looked to me and offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry. When you decided to befriend the neighbors, you probably didn't expect all of this."

"I don't care," I said honestly. "It doesn't matter. How about we watch a movie?"

Riker agreed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for the reviews and such. And shout out to those who guessed what was wrong with Riker in the last chapter. ;D You're awesome. So, we've got some ship names being thrown around. Anyone want to add to my list and I'll pick a favorite? I've got a few.**

**As for this chapter, one of the major events was something inspired by pictures taken by the band a few days ago. I thought it was adorable then and it definitely deserves to be written. As for rest of the chapter, we see a bit more about Riker's every day life. And a growing relationship between them.**

**Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

* * *

"I can't believe he's letting you go today," Rydel gushed the next day as they piled into my car. It was their first day of school and I figured since we were neighbors, it was a good idea for us to go together. Besides, I had spent the last day with the two of them and had quite grown to like them both.

Riker looked annoyed by what Rydel said, but didn't comment. One thing about her I learned was she couldn't take a hint very well. "I mean, I'm glad. You deserve to go like the rest of us, but come on…"

"Rydel, enough," he snapped. His expression softened. "Please."

Rydel got out first a few minutes later, running up to Laura as they compared the schedules of their days, smiling and laughing their responses. She would spend most of her day with my best friend because they were the same age. Much like how Riker was in all of my classes but one. I glanced at him as we neared the building, trying to read his behavior. "Are you nervous?"

"Nervous about germs and infections," he joked weakly. I smirked at him. "But no, not really. I don't mind it. It's still pretty early in the school year, so I don't think anyone is really going to notice me." His expression changed. "And if I can help it, they'll never know a thing about my condition."

I noticed he was caring a large bag with him and I tried to look inside. "What's that?"

"My medications," he explained. "The only way my mom and dad let me go to school is if the school keeps an extra stock on the shelves for me at all times."

"Oh." I stared down at the bag. "It looks full."

"There are a lot of medications I'm on," he muttered. "More than I'd like to take daily, but it's not exactly my choice."

"Well, either way, you're here," I said. "And I'm glad."

He smiled back at me and we made our way through the halls to our first class. The day started out pretty normal, for me and I was going take a chance and say for Riker as well. He was a bit more on guard about little things. He was always using hand sanitizer every class we went into, but he had explained it meant that everything stayed clean for him. It was one of the biggest hazards of not being home schooled with CF. There were germs everywhere and catching a bad cold, or something even worse meant he would be sick for weeks on end. These were things that I had learned was just life to him.

When school was over, I headed home to change and get ready for work, leaving the two of them at their house and myself in mine. I ran up the stairs and jogged into my room, throwing around things until I had everything, stopping when I saw Riker in the window of his room, music playing loudly as he danced around. I was glad he had no idea I could see him right then, because it was priceless. It made me laugh and it made me happy to know he wasn't letting events get the better of him.

With a smile, I headed off to work.

Much to my surprise, my day there was slow. No customers seemed to be interested today, and I spent the majority of the time on my phone, researching things about cystic fibrosis.

Riker had given me a brief description of what he went through, but reading others stories and facts in detail sent shivers down my spine. There were so many different drugs and methods of therapy for the disease, and the most heartbreaking part of it was there wasn't a cure.

That made me the angriest. Riker would die from this eventually.

I shut off my phone, blinking back tears, staring off into the distance. How was that fair? How could something like that exist in the world?

"Time to close up," my boss said to me and I forced myself to stand. I decided I didn't want to face reality just yet. I took a left turn instead of my exit, heading towards the beach. It was late, and the sun was starting to set, but I didn't care. I needed a moment alone, just me and my thoughts without the chance of anyone interrupting.

Sitting on the beach always calmed me. The waves and the smell of the ocean were enough for me, enough to remind me about the beauty of the world in its own way, and forget about everything else for a while. No one else was here because it was dark and it was just me, the sand, and my thoughts.

Riker's condition was literally breaking my heart.

I almost fell asleep an hour in, and I knew eventually someone would notice I was missing, so I decided I should probably head home soon. But the way the ocean seemed so peaceful and calm, the light from the moon reflecting over it, I had to wonder if he'd ever seen it before. The beach that is. When it was honestly at its finest, no one swimming or surfing, no one screaming or playing games.

"I need a life," I thought out loud, shaking my head.

"Where is Riker?" I asked the next morning from the car, as Rydel ran out of her house, scrambling with her books, and trying to run a comb through her hair at the same time. Oddly enough, she made it look effortless. The girl plopped down in the seat beside me and offered a sad smile.

"He's not feeling well," she explained. "Don't take it as it sounds. It happens a lot. It's mainly the reason my parents want him home schooled, because he always ends up missing too many days. But he refuses." She threw her brush into her bag as we took off, and I drove quietly. "Oh, he wants to know if you can get any work he misses today. Since you're in the same classes and all."

I nodded, smiling at her. "Sure. So how do you like your classes? Laura driving you insane, yet?"

"No," she laughed. "She's definitely wild. I mean, I can be pretty crazy, but she's definitely crazier than me. I like her though. Back where we used to live in Colorado, a lot of the girls didn't really like me all that much. I spent more time with my brother if he needed it then my friends, so they were all tired of waiting around for me. I like that about you two. You don't seem like them. I guess they were all superficial."

"Laura doesn't know yet," I reminded her. "But I can't see her having a problem."

"Well, that's up to her." She sat quiet for a moment. "I knew from the moment I met you that Riker's condition wouldn't bother you at all. He spent hours worrying about telling you, or how he'd have to tell you eventually. I said with him, you can't exactly hide something like that for long, and that he might as well get it over with. He might have admitted to having a crush on you. But I totally didn't just say that." Her grin widened.

Rydel was waiting my reaction and it was hard to keep from smiling. It was definitely an odd friendship to start, how close I already felt to him, and how much I already knew of him in the three days I'd known him. "Well…"

"Oh, just say it," she laughed. "You like him too."

"I do," I admitted. "Laura was the first one to say he was my type when she saw him, and then everything sort of just happened. I don't really know much about him, so right now it's just a crush. But who knows?" That much was a lie. I had spent the entire night before at the beach, and at work thinking about him. But if she knew that, she'd never leave me alone.

Her eyes lit up. "Oh, I can change that."

"Rydel," I warned. "I know for a fact that I don't like when people get involved, and I'm going to guess that he doesn't like it either."

She just rolled her eyes. "It's more fun that way," she argued.

We pulled into the parking lot, and she nearly bounced out of the car. Her eyes were wide with excitement and it was clear that I was going to have to watch what she did when I was around her brother from now on. She was officially in matchmaker mode.

After school, I headed home with both girls in the back of my car, and since we were all off that day, a shopping trip was being planned. "I really want to find a Halloween costume too," Laura gushed, throwing her hands dramatically over my seat. "We need something totally scary this year. Last year, we did barely clothed and this year… I want to… look scary."

"Good explanation," I teased with a smile. I nodded my head though. I never did any of the more revealing outfits anyway, they weren't my style. I was thinking of dressing up as maybe a character from one of my favorite TV shows this year, but it was a harder feat. It involved making my own costume and while I would say I was creative, I didn't think I was that creative.

"What about you, Rydel?"

"I was thinking about something simpler," she admitted. "Like a vampire, or even like a mummy."

It went quiet in the car. "You know… there is a very easy way to make a homemade mummy costume," I said with a grin. "And cheap."

"Oh, really?"

"Toilet paper!"

Laura rolled her eyes, "Well, that could work, but I want something else. You guys can roll around in toilet paper, but I want to really scare someone."

"You're as scary as a puppy," I told her, shaking my head. "Hate to break it to you."

She shoved me as we got out of the car, and headed towards Rydel's house. The girls went straight to her room and I made my way toward her brother's, figuring I'd drop off the work he missed and say hello. Along the way, I noticed some of the pictures that decorated the halls. A younger, much shorter Riker smiled back at me from years ago, his eyes still twinkling with young wonder. He even had what looked to be like freckles. Rydel was in many of them as well, always hugging, or holding onto her older brother. The two came as a pair, even as children. I enjoyed that about them.

He was sitting in bed with a book and what looked like a cup of tea when I walked in. His expression immediately lit up, despite the lack of color on his face and it was a good feeling to know that I gave that feeling to someone.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

He slid out of the bed and walked over to me, grabbing some of the books and dropping them on the desk next to him. "I'm alright," he said with a shrug. "I woke up with a fever and that set my parents off. So into bed I was forced."

"Oh," I answered with a loss for words. He sat back down on the bed, putting his book away and taking a sip of tea. He watched me with careful eyes and a slight smile. Self-consciously, I felt my hands go to my face. "What?"

"Nothing," he assured me. "I'm… nevermind."

I gave him a look and sat down next to him on the bed. "Any exciting plans for the evening?"

"Not really. Maybe a movie marathon or something. With Halloween so close, I figured why not get scared shitless?"

I thought about Laura and Rydel who wanted to go shopping, and weighed my options. He probably would spend the night alone with the TV, while we had fun at the mall, trying on different outfits and laughing with each other. It wouldn't be fair to leave him here and he definitely wouldn't be allowed to come with us. Maybe shopping could be held for another day.

"How do you feel about toilet paper, Riker?"

He had laughed when I asked him the question, but an hour later, was laughing even harder when we attempted my plan. The girls had agreed to stay home with us, and we were going to spend the night with horror movies, hot chocolate, and pizza. And we couldn't forget the toilet paper. Rydel and I were currently wrapping up Laura, who would be the easiest to perform the task on because of her height. She kept giggling each time it got closer to her face, and we ourselves were having a hard time keeping smiles off our own.

"This is ridiculous," she laughed. "Rydel, your parents are going to be so mad when they come home later and notice all the toilet paper is gone."

She shrugged, her eyes showing she didn't really care. The girl seemed to not really worry about things like that and my guess was she happened to be good at talking her way out of situations. Especially when it involved her brother and his happiness. It was her reasoning which kept Laura from leaving, and her idea to order the pizza. Money wasn't of object, and fun was the biggest and most important part of anything she did.

"Get me another roll, Riker!"

He did as he was told, coming back with several as Rydel danced along with the music we'd put on. The horror movies in the background weren't exactly being watched, and that was okay. It wasn't as if we needed the nightmares they would bring.

Before I could make another comment, I felt something dart around me, and in seconds, my legs were wrapped with the white paper. "Riker!" I snorted. "Hey!"

He giggled as he ran circles around me, going much quicker than we had with Laura. He had it at my face within a couple minutes. "Now we put the mummy into the ground," he said in a deep voice, tossing it over my face, except for my mouth, but including my eyes.

"How am I supposed to see?" I shrieked playfully.

"I'll guide you," he whispered into my ear, and I felt his hands around my waist, leading me into the living room where the food and drinks were. We stopped just before the couch, I thought and he was still giggling at my costume. "This has actually been a lot of fun."

"Who knew?" I asked.

"Thanks for a great night."

"You're welcome. Thanks for not thinking I'm completely out of my mind."

"Why would I ever think that?" he teased.

I couldn't see him because of the toilet paper, but I could almost feel his smile. I put one on my face too, glad the thing was hiding my blushing cheeks.

He chuckled and I felt him walk towards me. With no time to prepare myself for his lips meeting mine, and despite the fact that I was covered in toilet paper, he kissed me.


End file.
